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Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III Review

There has never been any question that the Canon EOS 1Ds produces the
best quality images of any handheld digital camera on the market. The
only question has been whether or not you wanted to pay $8000 and
crush your shoulders under the weight of this monster.

What do you get with the Mark III incarnation of the EOS 1Ds? The
weight, with battery but not lens, has come down from a ridiculous 3.5
lbs. to a painful 3 lbs. Resolution is up to 21 megapixels (from 12
in the original 1Ds and 16 MP in the Mark II version). That is
5600x3700 pixels, large enough to make superb prints at 20x30" and
acceptable prints beyond 30x40".

Dynamic range in RAW files is 14 bits per color, up from 12 bits in
previous 1Ds bodies.

Operating Speed

The 1Ds Mark III turns on almost instantly and is very responsive, on
par with the cheaper Canon bodies that are not tangling with 25 MB RAW
images. The camera can capture 5 pictures per second, but it can't
write them to the memory cards that fast. After you've captured
about 56 JPEGs or 12 RAW images, the viewfinder and top-deck LCDs will
read "BUSY" for a few seconds until some of the images have been
saved, freeing buffer memory for additional photos.

The 5 frames per second capture rate of the 1Ds Mark III is similar to
the best film SLRs (without accessory power boosters), but
significantly slower than the 10 fps of its sports photography crop
sensor cousin, the 1D Mark III. It is also slower than the EOS 40D
body, which offers a 6.5 fps rate. This can make a difference when
trying to capture peak action during an atheletic event, for example.

Controls

At first glance, the 1Ds Mark III appears easy to operate. There are
the familiar Canon control wheels, one just behind the shutter release
and a thumb-wheel on the back of the camera. The first hint that the
camera might not be so simple is the presence of three external LCD
displays: top deck, rear monitor, rear icon panel. Where should you
look to find a particular piece of information or verify a particular
camera setting? It isn't obvious.

The familiar top-deck control wheel ("mode dial") from Canon's cheaper
digital SLRs is chucked due to its susceptibility to dust, moisture,
and failure. To change among exposure modes, you press a couple of
bottoms on the top left of the camera while simultaneously turning the
main control dial.

In some ways the interface is simpler than on Canon's lower-end
bodies. There are no idiot modes so you don't have to wonder what the
camera will do when set to the flower icon, the "running guy" icon, or
the "green box" icon. You choose among Metered Manual,
Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, and Program autoexposure. You
choose between One Shot (subject not moving) and AI Servo (subject
moving) autofocus modes.

In most ways, however, the interface is much more complicated. The
menus are deeper. There are more buttons. There are choices about
which of the two memory cards you would like the camera to write to.
Or maybe you want it to write to both simultaneously?

The camera includes a fast processor, massive internal memory, and
high-resolution 3" screen. Would a "help" or "more info" option on
the menu choices and custom functions be too much to ask for?

Autofocus

There are 45 autofocus sensors in this camera. With an f/2.8 lens,
all 45 sensors function, 19 of which are high-precision sensors,
reponding both to vertical and horizontal lines. With an f/4 lens (or
f/2.8 lens with 1.4X teleconverter), only the center AF sensor
responds to vertical lines; the other sensors look at horizontal lines
only. At f/5.6 (kit zoom lens or f/4 + teleconverter), the central
sensor loses its vertical sensitivity. At f/8, a maximum aperture at
which Canon consumer bodies don't even try to autofocus, the central
AF sensor responds to horizontal lines. This is useful when trying to
do wildlife photography with a compact kit, e.g., 300/4 and 2X
converter or 400/5.6 and 1.4X teleconverter.

Autofocus is supposed to function in light as dim as EV -1 (ISO 100),
i.e., light that would require an exposure of 1 second at f/1.4 with
an ISO setting of 400. With an external flash attached in dim light,
the camera will instruct the flash to shine a red "AF-assist beam" on
the subject, unless Custom Function III-14 is set to disable the beam.

Viewfinder

The viewfinder image is large, bright, and shows 100 percent of the
image to be captured... just like a 1959 Nikon F. The in-viewfinder
displays, one underneath and one on the right side, show more
information than the heads-up display on an F-16 fighter jet. The
bottom LCD shows metering pattern, f-stop, shutter speed, autoexposure
lock, flash ready, exposure or flash exposure compensation, white
balance correction, capacity of storage media, ISO speed, focus
confirmation. The right-side display shows ambient and flash exposure
meters (+/- 3 f-stops), the number of photos that can be stored in the
camera's burst buffer, whether RAW or JPEG format is selected, and a
battery charge level icon.

It is easy to view the entire viewfinder image and the one-line LCD
display underneath, even while wearing eyeglasses. It is not easy,
even without glasses, to see both in-finder LCD displays and
the image. To facilitate use without eyeglasses, the Canon 1Ds Mark
III has a built-in diopter adjustment (-3 to +1).

Live View

If the Canon 1Ds Mark III is mounted in a place where you can't see
through the optical viewfinder, you can view the image to be captured
on the 3" rear LCD, on a television set connected via an included
cable, or on a personal computer connected via a USB cable (software
included).

How does Live View work? The mirror is flipped up, darkening the
optical viewinder and sending all of the light to the sensor. This
disables the autofocus system, whose sensors are in the viewing path,
upstream from the mirror. To focus, press the "zoom in" button on the
rear of the camera for 5X or 10X magnification, set the lens for
manual focus, and turn the focus ring on the lens.

Pressing the depth of field preview button stops down the lens to
taking aperture and simultaneously enables "exposure simulation". The
LCD image gets brighter or darker as aperture and shutter speed are
changed in metered manual (M) mode.

Battery life in Live View mode is short; Canon says to expect to
capture about 300 images on a fully charged battery.

Those who have the patience to read every page of the owner's manual
will learn that Live View heats up the sensor, degrading image
quality. Internal temperatures can rise enough to become damaging,
resulting in an obscure thermometer icon appearing. The photographer
is supposed to recognize this icon and turn off Live View. The rear
high-resolution LCD could display a text message: "Your $8000 camera
is heating up to damaging temperatures; please turn off Live View."
But it doesn't, on the theory that the owners will have read and
remembered every page in the owner's manual.

Mirror Lock-Up

For maximum sharpness at high magnifications, either with macro or
telephoto lenses, it helps to swing the mirror up in advance of
opening the shutter. This is most important at shutter speeds between
1 second and 1/30th of a second.

The Canon 1Ds Mark III offers mirror lock-up capability via Custom
Function III-15. Once enabled, a single press of the shutter release
locks up the mirror. After the vibration of the mirror slam has
subsided, a second press will take the picture. How can this reduce
vibration and increase image sharpness if a clumsy human keeps
touching the camera? It can't, unless you attach a remote release or
use the self-timer. For landscape photography, put the camera on a
tripod, set exposure and focus manually, enable mirror lockup, set the
self-timer mode to 2 or 10 seconds, and press the shutter speed just
once for each image. The mirror will lock up as soon as the shutter
release is pressed. Two seconds later, the shutter will open and the
picture get taken. Two seconds should be enough for the vibration of
the mirror and the vibration of a finger on the shutter release to
dissipate.

Some of Canon's film bodies had a mode in which mirror lock-up was
enabled only with the self-timer. This was very useful for travel
photography when the camera was on and off a tripod because it is so
easy to switch in and out of self-timer mode (the "drive" button).
The EOS 1Ds lacks this capability; switching in and out of mirror
lock-up mode involves wading through a series of menus.

Storage

The Canon 1Ds Mark III has two card slots, one for Compact Flash card,
either Type I and II, and one for an SD card. Each RAW image is 25
MB, which means that you can store about 40 images per gigabyte (GB).
Start with either a 16 GB CF
Card or the announced-at-CES 2008 32 GB SD cards
from Panasonic.

Busy photojournalists will appreciate the ability to write images
simultaneously to SD and CF cards. The camera can be set up to write
RAW files to one card and JPEGs to the other. Hand the JPEG card to a
newspaper editor; keep the RAW card for a possible book.

To make it easier to caption images back at the office, the camera can
associate a 30-second sound clip with an image. Simply press and hold
the microphone button while an image is being reviewed.

I had trouble formatting two SanDisk Ultra II 8 GB cards in the
camera. These cards had previously worked perfectly in a 5D body, but
the 1Ds kept saying "Could not format. Change card1." Supposedly this
problem has been fixed with the 1.0.6 version of the firmware.

Flash

The Canon 1Ds Mark III does not have a built-in flash, but it can
control the full range of Canon's external flashes. See our Canon EOS system guide for more
information.

Adjusting flash settings is about as easy as using Windows Vista.
Want to show a natural looking motion blur behind a sharp
flash-exposed subject? Second curtain sync for the flash requires the
following steps:

press the menu button

press the four-way nipple to the right seven times to get to the custom function page

press the four-way nipple down to highlight the custom function II section

press the set button to navigate down into the custom function II section

scroll the thumb wheel four steps to the right to CF II-5

press the set button again

scroll the thumb wheel again

press the set button again

Resume taking photos with a 550EX flash and you'll find that... the
flash fires when the first shutter curtain opens. Give up and take a
bunch of photos, like the one at right, where the motion blur is in
front of the moving subject. Return home, pull out the manual and
discover that settings on the flash override those on the camera.
Search in vain for a second curtain sync switch on the 550EX. Press
all of the buttons on the flash. Go to the Canon USA Web site.
Navigate through the menus. Discover that the owner's manual for the
550EX is not available. Do a Google search and discover that some
kind soul has uploaded the PDF file. Go to page 98 and discover that
second curtain sync is settable on the flash. You only need
to press the + and - buttons simultaneously. That puts the flash into
"high speed sync mode". The press the + and - buttons simultaneously
again. That puts the flash into second curtain sync mode, indicated
by a multi-segmented arrow.

[Why no built-in flash for $8000 you might ask? It would be
difficult to maintain effective weather sealing with a traditional
pop-up flash. In addition, the prevailing wisdom is that professional
bodies should not have built-in flashes because professionals travel
with assistants carrying a full complement of powerful external flashes.]

Available Light

Despite having physically smaller sensor sites than the EOS 5D, the
1Ds Mark III tested slightly better in noise control at high ISO
settings. See image at right of a Cessna
Mustang interior, captured at ISO 1600, for an example of the
value of ISO 1600 in practical situations.

Autofocus performance in low light is slightly better than the 5D,
down to EV -1 compared to the 5D's EV -0.5.

To compare the 1Ds Mark III to the 5D, I photographed a bookshelf at
ISO 1600 and ISO 3200, with the 24-105/4L IS lens. Exposure with both
cameras was f/4 at 1/30th for ISO 1600 and f/4 at 1/60th at ISO 3200.
I compared the images, which were all too unaesthetic to display here,
in Adobe Photoshop. With both cameras, ISO 3200 was visibly noisier
than ISO 1600. Viewed at the same image magnification, images from
the 1Ds looked slightly less noisy than those from the 5D. Enabling
Custom Function II-2, "High ISO speed noise reduction", did not
improve the quality of the 1Ds RAW images nor did a simultaneously
produced JPEG look better than the RAW once opened in Photoshop. The
5D does not have a comparable custom function.

Verdict: Don't spend an extra $6,000 over the 5D for acceptable 8x10
prints at high ISOs.

Batteries

Despite what must be a power appetite on par with a gamer's PC, Canon
claims that the enormous Lith-ion battery is adequate for capturing
1800 photos at room temperature; 1400 when freezing. To recharge the
battery, you must travel with a charger that is larger than a Digital Rebel
XTi.

In our testing, the battery held a nearly full charge for three
calendar weeks with light usage.

Transferring Files

Want to transfer a file from, say, the SD card in the camera to your
personal computer? It is as easy as unplugging the card from the
camera and plugging it into the SD card reader on your PC. Then you
discover that the SD card reader won't read "SDHC" cards, i.e., those
with capacities greater than 2 GB. So you say "It might be a little
slow, but I'll just plug a USB cable into the camera and transfer the
files over USB 2.0." Then you discover that the camera shows up in
Windows Explorer, but not as a disk. Nor can the Microsoft Camera
Wizard figure out how to pull files out. That is when you turn to the
software CD-ROM included with the camera and install the "EOS Utility"
that can pull files from the camera's cards over USB and onto the
local hard drive.

You'd expect a camera this heavy to include Wifi and cell phone data
network communications capabilities. What good is a photo if you
can't share it with someone else? Canon offers a bag-on-the-side
WFT-E2A "wireless file transmitter" for about $800, i.e., roughly the
cost of a note PC that would include Wifi, Bluetooth, and cell phone
data network. The WFT-E2A lacks cell phone data capability and
Bluetooth and offers only Wifi. It is therefore is useful in the
studio, but not in the field. The WFT-E2A is not compatible with the
current 802.11n standard, only the older and slower 802.11b and
802.11g standards.

Software

The Adobe Camera Raw 4.3.1 plugin (for Lightroom and Photoshop CS3) can
decode RAW images from the Canon 1Ds Mark III. The JPEGs on this page were
generated with Photoshop CS3 and my
personal scripts that you can download. The Picasa program
from Google should eventually understand the 1Ds Mark III's RAW files.

Make sure to enable "auto rotate" (first tools menu) so that an image
captured with the camera held vertically will appear on a computer
screen in a vertical orientation.

Canon includes software with the camera, but it is not as good as
Picasa (free), Adobe Lightroom, or Adobe Photoshop/Bridge. Working
with the 25 MB RAW images is painfully slow. In Adobe Bridge, for
example, when trying to decide whether a photo is a keeper, the
software gives you the ability to zoom in on a portion of a thumbnail.
On a dual-core 2.8 GHz Pentium with 3.5 GB of RAM, this takes 15
seconds, compared to 7 seconds for a 12 MB image from a Canon 5D. A
top of the line personal computer starting in mid-2009 should be able
to handle these images without frustrating delays.

Reliability and Durability

The 1Ds Mark III is Canon's most durable body, designed to withstand
heavy rain, hard knocks, desert sand and dust, etc. The camera can be
set to write images to two memory cards simultaneously, thus
preserving the images even when half of the camera has been shot away
by hostile fire.

An automatic sensor cleaning function activates when the camera
is turned off.

Compared to the Other Canon Bodies

If a photographer had infinite money, would he or she buy the 1Ds Mark
III? Maybe not. The pain of spending $8000 might soon be forgotten
by some folks, but the 3 lb. weight will be a constant reminder that
an adequate job could have been done with the full-frame 5D (2 lbs.).

Compared to Nikon

Nikon is the only company that might conceivably make a competitor to
the 1Ds. So far they haven't tried. The closest that Nikon comes to
an attempt to compete with the 1Ds is the Nikon D3. The D3 has a
full-frame sensor, but with about half of the resolution of the 1Ds
Mark III. Where the D3 is superior to the 1Ds Mark III is in the
ability to capture usable images at an ISO setting of 25,600, three
f-stops more sensitive than the 1Ds Mark III's ISO 3200.

Nikon, starting with their D40 camera, seems to be ahead in the user
interface department, exploiting the personal computer-like
capabilities of the camera to explain settings with text and example
photographs.

Compared to Medium Format Systems

Can you get better image quality from any camera than from the 1Ds
Mark III? Sure, but not in a camera that you would want to handhold
all day. The realm of higher quality belongs to medium format digital
backs, rolled into systems such as the Hasselblad H3D, the Leaf AFi,
and the Sinar Hy6. These systems are intended for studio use, weigh
even more than the 1Ds, and cost $30,000+. The medium format systems
are designed to work with studio lighting and therefore may
underperform the 1Ds at higher ISO settings.

If you have an extra $20,000, a tripod, and a lot of light, look into
the medium format backs. These systems will get very interesting when
a large square sensor is available, e.g., close to the 56x56mm full
frame of 6x6 film camera. Currently the sensors are 36x48mm, which
wastes a lot of the image circle and has all of the disadvantages of a
rectangular format, e.g., figuring out a way to tilt the camera
sideways or rotate the back.

Compared to Large Format (Very Large)

Elsa Dorfman uses a 20x24" Polaroid camera. We decided to see how a
print made from an EOS 1Ds Mark III RAW file would compare to a 20x24"
original. The images below were taken using ISO 50, available only
after enabling extended ISO range from a custom function menu. This
is slower than the native resolution of the camera and is probably
slightly lower image quality than ISO 100, but it was useful because
it enabled us to use an f/8 aperture with the powerful strobes in
Elsa's studio.

Lens

Original

100 percent crop

50/1.4

50/2.5 macro

85/1.2L

Note: The inset images were filtered with Unsharp Mask at the following
settings: 75 percent, 1 pixel radius, 0 threshold. They were then
saved in .png format.

We sent the RAW files to Pictopia and gave them no
instructions other than "make the best 20x30 print that you can". In
a side-by-side comparison with a few Polaroid originals, Elsa and
three other viewers agreed that the 1Ds Mark III images had at least
as much detail as the Polaroid. It was a little tough to compare
because the Polaroid images have less depth of field and the papers
were very different. The Polaroid paper is super thick and glossy;
Pictopia's least expensive RA-4 paper has a matte finish and is much
thinner. The digital image was much cleaner, while the Polaroid had a
lot of waviness and character in the background. As an imaging system
for making 20x30" prints, the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III combined with
Pictopia was the clear victor. As artistic statements, the Polaroid
images were more interesting.

Wishlist

Most new cars have GPS. The EOS 1Ds Mark III plus an L lens feels
about as heavy as hanging a Hyundai around one's neck. Why shouldn't
the camera body include a GPS chip and geotag images with the latitude
and longitude of the exposure location? Canon's theory for how you
would do this is to buy a WFT-E2A "wireless file transmitter" to
attach to the side of the body, then buy a separate GPS and plug that
into the WFT-E2A via a USB cable.

As noted previously, the EOS 1Ds Mark III includes a fast processor,
massive internal memory, and high-resolution 3" screen. Why not add a
tiny touch of software and text strings to include a "help" or "more
info" option with most menu and custom function controls? The
information in the owner's manual wouldn't occupy more than 1/1000th
of a RAW image; why should the photographer be forced to carry around
the owner's manual on paper?

Conclusion

The EOS 1Ds Mark III is a remarkable display of engineering prowess.
Do you need a weatherproofed camera that is strong enough to drive
nails while producing the world's best image quality? If so, the 1Ds
is a bargain. If not, the
Canon EOS 5D, (compare prices) (review) is a better
value.

I never wanted a 1Ds. Now I do. But probably I'll wait for the
revision of the EOS 5D.

Recording options: Multiple media recording options: record to
only one memory card;
record the same image to both SD and CF card; record RAW image to
a CF card and JPEG image
to a SD card

New additional features: Files can be automatically written to
another media if card
beomes full; select different image sizes and save to different
media (example: different
JPEG sizes); record same image using all three media options,
including external hard
drive; copy files manually from one card to another, or to
connected USB hard drive

Sound recording: Maximum 30 seconds per sound clip (more than
one clip can be assigned
to each image)

Folder settings: Create new folder and select on memory card

3-part approach to dust reduction: EOS Integrated Cleaning
System; self-cleaning sensor
unit--low pass filter in front of the sensor vibrates at a very
high frequency for about
four seconds to "shake" off loose dust and dirt; occurs
on start-up and shut
down--can also be activated by user or totally disabled; Dust
Delete Data: a test shot is
taken and any dust spots are "mapped" and added to each
image's text data;
automatic removal possible in Canon DPP software; manual: user can
lock up mirror to blow
off any dust or have service technician wipe sensor clean

Readers' Comments

You have stated "There has never been any question that the Canon EOS 1Ds produces the best quality images of any handheld digital camera on the market."

How about the Mamiya 645 AF with a digital back, this camera is quite hand holdable and will render cleaner images especially at higher ISO, The Mamiya also has bigger glass which will give better resolution, the platform is bigger 4cmx6cm enabling the use of bigger pixels which produce less noise. The Mamiya 645 AFD may not be quite as portable as a 35mm digital camera but it is very hand holdable and will surly make better images than the 1Ds Mk.3; it is also advertised at under $10,000.00.

The 1Ds Mk.3 would be better in the field having faster shutter speeds and also has the use of more lens selection, but to say it will produce the best handheld images of any digital camera is not so.

Good question, Jonathan. Are you talking about the "ZD Back" for the Mamiya? I wouldn't call it a handheld camera due to the weight and bulk (already becoming excessive on the 1Ds!). As for high ISO performance, the Mamiya back only goes up to ISO 400. The frame rate is only 1.2 frames per second. Everything about the Mamiya says "studio" to me.

I am grateful for this camera. When it came out, I was able to pick up the Mark II version (16.7 megapixels) brand new on eBay (zero shutter actuations) for $4500. After I knock off a couple of convenience stores, I can get out of debt and have a decent DSLR and portable dumbbell.

With Sony's recent announcement of developing a 25 megapixel full frame sensor: http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/200801/08-010E/index.html I would hold off buying the 1Ds Mark-III. Nikon will likely come out with a D3X as soon as this sensor is available (say end of 2008) and so will Sony itself.

Having the DS & DSMk2 I am looking forward to the Mk3 with great anticipation. Who has these overpriced cameras ? How do you determine if you are getting one that has an alignment issue that has caused the delay in getting these bodies in the hands of studio shooters like myself in the first place. I have read about this issue and wonder if Canon has corrected the problem yet & if there are still bodies floating around with this problem. I would be most unhappy to spend 8K on a body only to have to square up my images in Photoshop.

But I'll wait for the Mark 4 version to appear....
Maybe by then canon will have a REAL fix engineered to replace that stupid USB
cable.... Tethering to a laptop is my only real complaint with the Mark 2...
Their USB cable is for ever working loose....

Re Medium Format... They need a Wide Angle Lens like cannon offers...
My 17-40 Is simply awesome for the money....
That would be the only way I'd switch from Canon...

"There has never been any question that the Canon EOS 1Ds produces the best quality images of any handheld digital camera on the market."

This is subjective, and personal opinions used to kick off a review can damage your and the review's credibility. I shoot Nikon but in my opinion the Fuji S3 and S5 hold the title for "best quality" images. Once again though, that's my opinion.

Great review...
we are on location right now and got the first 6000 images shot. here is a short note from location in Spain:

1. super strange is: we are using the grid screen - something must be offset. if we adjust via the grid screen we are about 2-4 degrees off level. We leveled the camera on a ocean horizon, absolute straight - then we switched on the live view mode and the horizon was off about 2-4 degrees??
Anyone else seeing this?

2. about mirror up - you wrote:
"was on and off a tripod because it is so easy to switch in and out of self-timer mode (the "drive" button). The EOS 1Ds lacks this capability; switching in and out of mirror lock-up mode involves wading through a series of menus."
If you load the mirror up function in your custom menu then you can have it with one scroll - actually the custom menu is one of the "greatest small new features".

Beside that - I love the M3 - the images are absolute awesome!
More when we back.

why I should buy WFT E2 to use GPS when with Nikon it can be connected directly, even to cheaper models like D200? If not built in GPS even then it should have direct port connection for that. It is shame for canon for asking to spend 800/$ on WT E2 just to use GPS.
I am waiting eagerly for this camera but is not available.

You are right when you say that the 1Ds is quite heavy - especially with lenses such as the 85mm 1.2 - and you probably wouldn't want to walk around all day with it. But the images produced by this camera are better than anything I have ever experienced (I admit I have little experience with medium format). My 5D is also produces great images but the 1Ds smokes it with it's speed and ease of operation, superb quality feel and extra functionality. Is it really worth the money? - probably not. The law of diminishing returns means you pay a lot more for smaller and smaller improvements. Am I glad I doled out over 5K sterling? - You bet. I think this camera will be with me for quite a few years (so does my wife!). If you can afford it go for it - I don't think you will regret it. If not, I'm sure that an improved 5D will also be a great camera

I dont see what the big deal is with the weight of this camera. I use a Mark II which is just a couple OZ lighter and have never found the weight of the camera to be an issue. If someone has that big of a problem with buying a camera because of its weight, maybe they should just get a rebel and a gym membership.

I use a 1Ds3 and have a Mamiya AF.
We are not talking the same animal
45 focus points, spectacular accuracy in focusing,rapid fire,etc.etc.
Try buying an 85mm 1.2 in Mamiya or a 70-200 is 2.8 for that matter.
As for the Nikon; compare it to the 1D Mk3, it is closer to that.
It's fun to make all the comparisons but let me say this; The 1DS Mk3 is one hell of a camera. They have fixed the gripes I had with the Mk2 and I am loving it!!
Roll on bigger chips from anyone - lets just hope the get the rest of the camera as usable as this one.
Cheers
Chris

Philip,
You mention that the sensor of the Mk3 is smaller than that of the 5D - is that really true? Is it the case, that all 35mm full frame cameras were created equal, but some are more "full frame" than others!?

Nice review mate and some ggod shots, that said however what I would like to see in a test of a camera of this quality are shots taken at 50 ISO with Canon's 135mm F2L, said to be one of the sharpest lenses ever made. I've tried finding such test shots and they just aren't available, also this is the one Camera that Canon has never released sample shots for! If I am going to shell out around AU$13,000 I'd like to know before hand exactly what I'd be getting for such a huge price tag!
The noise I see in the darker areas of all the shots I've seen has not impressed me, big megapixel numbers doesn't particularly mean better quality only more noise produced over a given surface area. The only thing I like about the 1ds's are they look professional and seem to produce better skin tones, which is fine if thats all you want to use it for, but I think my 5D is superior when it comes to pixel noise and as an all round performer, we won't mention the bunnies here though(I swear someone uses mine as a vacumn cleaner when I'm not around)! :))

Philip - I enjoyed the review. That said, I've ordered my 1Ds mk III. My 5D with the battery grip is a just 2.6 ounces shy of the 1Ds mk III - so I don't thing I'll notice the difference. I welcome the ability to autofocus with a 1.4X multiplier, which sadly was not possible on the 5D. While I'm waiting for my 1Ds mk III, I guess I'll memorize the manual. Best wishes, Tony

The bottom line for me is detail in landscapes, not the other features , although they may be important they're not the deciding factor (e.g.wheight, operability, functions etc) AFAIC so I'd love to see some pics at 100% - but preferably not until the 5Dmk2 comes out ;-) - The advantage over the current 5D is obvious but the question in my ( and others'?) mind is whether it will be worth it over the 5D mk2 when it comes out,( in terms of detail you can pull for those big juicy enlargements. )

Today, after 5 weeks of using my brand new canon 1ds mark iii, it went dead with permanent err 99:) I had 24-70 L lens at the time when it happened (shooting rapidly in Ai servo). I heard mirror/shutter curtains? unusual action (loud click) on pressing shutter button, before it developed err 99. I'd add that I had a problem with a lof of sticky crud on the CMOS sensor when it arrived. Ubelievable, 8k camera!? Shame on Canon! True, the pictures from the camera are the best that I have seen so far, leaving 5d behind in a different league.

Bit the bullet and bought the 1DsM3. CF card slot pin bent on second day. Alignment of card slot might need something, but I fixed the bent pin and will wait to see if it happens again. Previous cameras have not had a problem in this area.

Camera performs quite well. I'm pleased with resolution. The attached image is 25 percent of the full frame. I used a Leitz 60mm f 2.8 macro at f16 and 1/160s, ISO 1250.

I've had my 1Ds mk III for about 4 weeks and shot over 600 wildlife photos. Compared to my 5D, with its 8000 wildlife photos, the 1Ds mk III outperforms the 5D in every way. The shere joy of experiencing the great colour depth and very sharp photos was worth the extra cash.

I truly do not understand all of the complaints or comments about weight and size. The camera does get heavy if you are shooting hand held with a 500mm lense. Otherwise I have never noticed that it is heavy. The weight adds to the overall stability of the system. I have shot around 30,000 pics with either a 1ds Mark ii or a 1d Mark II some of them at 11,000 feet after a two mile hike with multiple lenses and a heavy tripod. Oh, and I am old enough to collect SS. Most pictures are much better shot off a monopod anyway. I have shot all day with a 1ds on a monopod with a big lense.
The reason there is no need for a flash on a pro camera is that the flashes that you find on lower level cameras basically don't work. Or at least I have never been able to get a satisfactory picture with one.

Quite frankly, my opinion is that if you can't carry around 3 or 4 pounds you need to exercise more.
Are these comments blunt enough? I have been reading complaints about the weight of these cameras for several years.

My 'old' Mac Pro with 2 x 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeons handles output from my 1Ds just fine (currently you can go to 2 x 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Xeons). I have been using Aperture which handles everything nicely. Even my Mac Book Air does reasonably well, albeit at a slow but usable pace.

Regarding comments about the "weight" and that one should be able to carry 3-4 pounds, I agree that 3-4 pounds is easy to carry, but for me, it's the size of the 1DS series that is a problem. Why do they need to make it so large? No, seriously. It's bloody huge, and I think it's unnecessary. Cameras have been increasing in size like a Montesorri class on acid and where does it stop?

> Quite frankly, my opinion is that if you can't carry
> around 3 or 4 pounds you need to exercise more.

Sure, when the camera is in the backpack, heavy is OK...

The nice landscape will wait for you to pull the camera out of the backpack. Well, perhaps that beautiful light will be gone by the time you attach the lens... but generally it's OK.

I'm going to spend a month in Taiwan. I will take many shots. Therefore, I am going to dump my 20D and get a 450D. It will save weight. I'm fed up of having neck pains because I'm carrying a brick attached to a camera strap. I was about to get a 5D but then my neck would hurt like hell after one or two weeks of carrying it 12 hours a day. Therefore it will be a 450D and a Tamron 17-50 2.8. Sure a heavier camera would get a better quality shot. But would I carry it all day ? Not sure about that.

I agree with everything Madelaine says.I am also in heaven, what a camera.The resolution is out of this world.My 20D went over the rocks after 5 years of constant use.So now I use the 5D as backup and the Ds mark 111 as the main tool of trade.Most of my photography is outdoors and nature related.Funny I don,t find it heavy at all and I am no spring chicken.I also do not use tripods,hand hold the camera with the 400mm lens for all my bird photography.The camera is worth every penny it costs.

This camera definitely goes to my wishlist. I've heard and read a lot of reviews about this monster cam----and so far they're all good. I'm expecting to have this awesome cam miraculously made its way on my hands by the end of the year ;-)

You are obviously a "Canon whore" like (most of) the folks at Shutterbug. The list of better hand held cameras is getting crowded with Nikon's D3X (a better camera all the way around, when the dust settles, I'll bet). The Mamiya is easily hand held and is anything from Hasselblad.

As to what constitutes a hand holdable camera - didn't we used to hand hold Speed Graphics? You need to put down your Canon sales literature, pull up your pants and go lift some weights.

Hi Philip,
I guess one of the benefits of writing such an informative piece on Canon equipment is that people get to hold you accountable for every nuance of each little detail. You have my sympathy. That being said, your section on Available Light concluded that the 1Ds Mark III had very little noise improvement over a direct comparison with the 5D. Here the key phrase is 'a direct comparison'. However the 1Ds Mark III brings with it two extra bits in the highlight area which are very useful in reducing noise. Following procedures outlined elsewhere one can sometimes get as much as two stops improvement in the 1Ds Mark III noise. I often use this technique, overexpose in camera and then underexpose in photoshop camera raw. It works a treat. After 9 months of joy with the 1Ds Mark III I have to confess my 5D has barely been used. "Expose to the Right" is described at:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml

If your a pro dont buy this camera was just on a fashion shoot camera wouldnt fire gave Error 99 , since found out its a known fault you can find it on all the Canon websites
You dont want to spend that much money on a the top of the range camera that has a known fault , canon should have re called this model to sort out the problem
You get what you pay for in this world , when you pay top wack you expect top quality if you dont get it you can pay the same money for something else maybe a Nikon